Some places on Earth ooze with such rich scientific fodder they have become meccas for the research community. Here are a few hot spots that coax scientists out of their labs in droves.

As the planet continues to warm, most of the world's glaciers are retreating. But not the Perito Moreno glacier on Argentina's southernmost tip. Miraculously, this glacier has stayed about the same size while its neighboring glaciers in the Patagonian icefield have shrunk.

Scientists want to know why. Every year since 1990, researchers have trekked to this achingly beautiful place to measure ice loss, motion and thickness in these icefields, along with the depth of the glacial lakes below them. One hypothesis for Perito Moreno's stability: geometry. The physical characteristics of the land and lake bottom surrounding the glacier impede ice flow.